China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, has rebuffed NATO’s “groundless accusations” that Beijing is aiding Russia in its war on Ukraine, and has cautioned the Western alliance against inciting confrontation.
Mr. Wang’s remarks, made during a call with his Dutch counterpart, came just hours after NATO leaders gathered in Washington DC and issued a declaration addressing the war. The leaders accused China of being a “decisive enabler” for Russia by providing “large-scale support for Russia’s defense industrial base,” marking some of their strongest statements yet about Beijing.
They called on China to cease “all material and political support” to Russia’s war effort, including the supply of dual-use materials, which can serve both civilian and military purposes.
Western states have previously accused Beijing of transferring drone and missile technology and satellite imagery to Moscow. The US estimates that about 70% of the machine tools and 90% of the microelectronics Russia imports now come from China.
Beijing was also accused of conducting “malicious cyber and hybrid activities, including disinformation” targeting NATO states.
In a press conference on Thursday, US President Joe Biden mentioned that he had discussed with other leaders the need to outline the consequences for China.
“China has to understand that if they are supplying Russia with information and capacity, working with North Korea and others to help Russia and [their] armament, that they’re not going to benefit economically as a consequence of that,” he said.
“I think you’ll see that some of our European friends are going to be curtailing their investment in China.”
Pointing out that Russia had been seeking weapons from China and North Korea, he added that NATO states were considering a new policy to transform the West into an “industrial base” for munitions and to develop new weapons systems.
On Thursday, while speaking to the Netherlands’ new foreign minister, Caspar Veldkamp, Mr. Wang stated that “China absolutely does not accept” these accusations, insisting that they have “always been a force for peace and stability.”
In comments carried by state media, he said that China’s different political system and values “should not be used as a reason for NATO to incite confrontation with China” and called for NATO to “stay within its bounds.”
His remarks were the latest in a series of angry responses from Beijing.
Earlier on Thursday, a foreign ministry spokesperson said NATO was smearing China with “fabricated disinformation,” while Beijing’s mission to the EU told the alliance to “stop hyping up the so-called China threat.”
Beijing has consistently rebutted accusations of aiding Russia in the war, insisting it remains a neutral party. It has called for an end to the conflict and proposed a peace plan, which Ukraine has rejected.
However, besides the growing accusations of military support, observers have pointed out that Beijing’s vast purchases of oil and gas have helped sustain Russia’s economy, which is crippled by sanctions and drained by war spending.
Beijing’s official rhetoric on the conflict often mirrors Moscow’s—like Russia, China still does not call it a war. Chinese President Xi Jinping has maintained a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with both famously declaring their partnership has “no limits.”
Beijing has accused the US and other Western states of “pouring fuel on the fire” by supplying lethal weapons and technology to Ukraine for its defense.
In recent weeks, several countries have gone a step further by allowing Ukraine to use their weapons to hit targets inside Russia.
During NATO’s three-day summit, which ended on Thursday, the alliance reiterated its commitment to Ukraine. Member states said they would support Ukraine on its “irreversible path” to future membership, adding that “Ukraine’s future is in NATO.”
They also announced further integration with Ukraine’s military and support for its defense. The alliance has committed at least €40bn ($43.3bn, £33.7bn) in aid over the next year, including F-16 fighter jets and air defense support.